This fic is for my lovely friend @idkwhatthisiseither @fredhechingerfrenzy
Hope you enjoy!
The twenty-sided die bounced once across the dining hall table, struck the edge of a hastily drawn battle map, and came to rest with a triumphant natural twenty staring up at the ceiling.
The room erupted.
"No way!" one counselor shouted, throwing both hands into the air.
"The dice gods have favorites," another groaned dramatically.
At the head of the table, the Dungeon Master pinched the bridge of their nose, already regretting every carefully laid plan for the evening's final encounter.
Jason Hochberg, meanwhile, looked almost apologetic.
"...I mean," he said, trying and failing to hide his grin, "I did ask nicely."
A chorus of protests answered him.
"You asked the dice to commit crimes."
"You've rolled three crits tonight!"
"You sold your soul to a wizard."
Jason laughed, raising both hands in surrender as he reached for the little green die. "I don't know what to tell you. Maybe Sir Aldren is just incredibly charming."
Across the table, you rolled your eyes.
"Sir Aldren," you repeated. "The paladin who tried to negotiate with a mimic."
" It almost worked."
"The mimic bit you."
"It was considering my offer."
"It ate your shield."
"It was a tactical sacrifice."
The table dissolved into laughter again.
It had become a ritual every Friday after the campers went to bed. Once cabins were quiet and lanterns dimmed, the counselors claimed a corner of the dining hall for themselves. Character sheets replaced attendance lists. Miniatures marched across old cafeteria tables. Empty mugs of hot chocolate accumulated beside piles of colorful dice.
For a few hours, nobody worried about homesick campers or tomorrow's activities.
They just played.
Tonight's session had stretched well past midnight.
Your bard had gone down in spectacular fashion, sacrificing herself to collapse a bridge and stop an undead army.
Jason had somehow survived nearly every impossible situation through equal parts luck and ridiculous optimism.
The campaign ended with cheers, exaggerated mourning for fictional heroes, and promises to continue next week.
"I still think you should've lived," Jason said as everyone began gathering their things.
You tucked your character sheet into a folder. "It was dramatic."
"It was unnecessary."
"It was heroic."
"It was preventable."
"It made for a great ending."
Jason clicked his tongue thoughtfully.
"I'll allow 'great ending.'"
You smiled despite yourself.
That happened a lot around Jason.
The smiles came easily.
Not because he was constantly trying to be funny, though he often was. It was more that conversations with him wandered in unexpected directions. He had an uncanny ability to make ordinary moments feel just a little brighter, like he'd quietly turned the saturation up on the world.
Over the last three summers working at camp together, you'd collected dozens of those moments.
Competing during counselor canoe races.
Sharing kitchen duty and somehow burning grilled cheese.
Arguing over whether dragons would migrate south for winter.
Building scenery for the camp talent show.
Finding yourselves partnered together for scavenger hunts more often than coincidence could reasonably explain.
Somewhere along the way, Jason had become your favorite person to look for in a crowded room.
You weren't entirely sure when that had happened.
Maybe neither was he.
"Anybody else starving?" someone asked, interrupting your thoughts.
A handful of counselors raided the kitchen, emerging moments later with leftover chocolate chip cookies wrapped in plastic and enough marshmallows to concern a dentist.
"You people are vultures," the cook called from somewhere in the back.
"We're resourceful!" someone answered.
"You stole my cookies yesterday!"
"They tasted like victory!"
Laughter echoed through the dining hall again.
You accepted two cookies before someone else claimed the plate.
Jason leaned against the table beside you, carefully packing his dice into a worn leather pouch embroidered with tiny gold stars.
One by one, each die disappeared inside.
Blue.
Amber.
Pearl white.
A translucent green d20 that seemed to bring him impossible luck.
"You organize them?" you asked.
He looked up.
"Hm?"
"You always put them away in the same order."
Jason blinked, then looked down at the pouch.
"...I do?"
"You absolutely do."
"I've never noticed."
"I have."
For just a heartbeat, something shifted.
Not awkward.
Just... quieter.
His expression softened into something thoughtful.
"Huh."
"What?"
"I didn't realize you paid that much attention."
Your face warmed.
"I mean..."
You shrugged, pretending to inspect your cookie with tremendous interest.
"We've been friends for a while."
"We have."
His answer was gentle enough that you almost looked up.
Almost.
Instead, someone loudly declared they had accidentally stolen another counselor's notebook, shattering the moment before either of you could examine it too closely.
Around the room, chairs scraped across the wooden floor as everyone prepared to leave.
Lanterns were extinguished one by one.
Outside, summer insects hummed beneath the trees.
Jason wandered toward one of the open windows and paused.
"...Hey."
You joined him.
"What?"
He tilted his head toward the sky. It had cleared completely.
Earlier that evening, thick clouds had blanketed camp, threatening rain that never came. Now the heavens stretched endlessly overhead, scattered with enough stars to make the darkness seem almost alive.
"I almost forgot," he murmured.
"The meteor shower?"
"You remembered."
"I saw something about it this morning."
"So did I."
He glanced toward the cabins.
Most windows had already gone dark.
The camp slept peacefully beneath the trees.
Jason looked back at you.
"I was thinking..." Dangerous words. "..there's that overlook by the old archery trail."
"The one with the giant rock?"
"That's the one."
You nodded slowly. "I know it."
"They said the shower peaks tonight." He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking far less confident than he'd sounded moments ago.
"I figured..." He cleared his throat. "If you're not tired."
"I'm definitely tired."
"..Right."
"But," You smiled. "I think I'd regret sleeping through a meteor shower."
Something bright crossed his face. Not relief exactly. Something warmer. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Within minutes, the two of you had acquired another blanket from the staff lounge, a thermos of leftover hot chocolate, and several cookies that had somehow escaped the kitchen raid.
"You stole extra, didn't you?" you accused as Jason triumphantly produced another wrapped cookie from his hoodie pocket.
"I prefer the term 'planned ahead.'"
"You absolutely stole them."
"I rescued abandoned baked goods."
"They were on a tray."
"They looked lonely."
"You are impossible."
"So I've been told."
The gravel path crunched softly beneath your shoes as you left the last lantern behind. Camp felt entirely different after midnight.
Without the laughter of campers or whistles from activity leaders, everything became quieter.
The cabins nestled beneath the trees like sleepy little villages.
The lake reflected the moon in gentle ripples.
Somewhere far off, an owl called into the darkness.
Jason adjusted the blanket over one shoulder.
"You know," he said after a comfortable stretch of silence, "I still think your bard deserved inspiration."
You laughed. "You're still on this?"
"I'm always on this."
"The bridge collapsing was objectively cool."
"Itt was."
"And everyone survived."
"They did."
"So..."
"So."
He pointed dramatically ahead. "The DM robbed you."
"You are never letting this go."
"Never."
"You realize this is why nobody trusts paladins."
He gasped with theatrical offense. "I have been slandered."
"You've been accurately described."
"
You wound me."
"I rolled high enough for emotional damage."
"You absolutely did."
The joke lingered between you as the trail narrowed beneath towering pines.
Neither of you noticed that somewhere along the walk, your shoulders had begun brushing every few steps.
Neither of you moved away.
Above the treetops, the first faint streak of light crossed the sky.
By the time the first meteor disappeared beyond the horizon, the two of you were still standing in the middle of the trail.
You were the first to break the silence.
“..Did you see that?"
Jason looked up, following the fading silver trail a second too late.
"I saw the end of it."
"You missed the best part."
"I was distracted."
"By what?"
His eyes met yours for half a heartbeat before he shrugged.
"The trail."
"You've walked this trail a hundred times."
"I know."
"So that's a terrible excuse."
"It really is."
He smiled sheepishly, and the moment drifted away as naturally as it had arrived.
The overlook wasn't much farther.
The path climbed steadily until the trees began to thin, giving way to an outcropping of smooth stone that jutted over the edge of the hill. During the day, it overlooked nearly the entire camp. You could see the cabins tucked beneath the pines, the archery range, the ropes course, even the glittering lake stretching toward the opposite shore.
At night, it felt like another world.
The buildings below had become little pools of amber light. A lantern glowed outside the infirmary. Moonlight turned the lake into polished glass, reflecting stars so perfectly that it became difficult to tell where the sky ended and the water began.
Jason let out a quiet whistle.
"I always forget how pretty this place is."
"You say that every summer."
"And every summer I'm right."
"You are."
He spread the blanket across the warm stone while you unscrewed the thermos.
Steam curled lazily into the cool night air.
"You have cups?"
Jason blinked.
"...I brought the hot chocolate."
"I brought the blanket."
"You forgot cups."
"I forgot cups."
The two of you stared at each other for a beat before bursting into laughter.
"I guess we're sharing."
"I guess we are."
He took the first sip before handing the thermos to you.
"You know," you said after tasting it yourself, "this is better than the dining hall usually makes."
"I bribed Linda."
"You bribed the cook?"
"I offered to carry tomorrow's breakfast supplies."
"So you earned premium hot chocolate."
"I prefer to think of it as an investment."
You bumped his shoulder with yours.
"You're ridiculous."
"I've heard."
"Today?"
"At least twice."
"Good."
The breeze picked up, carrying the scent of pine needles and the faint sweetness of wildflowers growing somewhere below the hill.
You tucked your hands into the sleeves of your camp hoodie.
Almost immediately, Jason noticed.
"Cold?"
"A little."
Without a word, he shrugged off his own sweatshirt and held it out.
You frowned.
"What about you?"
"I run warm."
"You'll freeze."
"I promise I won't."
"You say that now."
"And in ten minutes you'll stop arguing and put it on."
"...You're annoyingly confident."
"I've known you for three summers."
"...Fair."
You accepted the hoodie.
It was still warm from where he'd been wearing it.
The sleeves hung past your hands.
It smelled faintly of cedar, laundry detergent, and whatever soap the camp ordered in industrial quantities every year.
You tried very hard not to think about how comfortable it felt.
Jason, meanwhile, was pretending not to notice you pulling the sleeves over your fingers.
He failed spectacularly.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The sleeves."
You looked down.
"...What about them?"
"You always do that."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
"It's cold."
"You've done it in seventy-degree weather."
"I have never."
"You have."
You narrowed your eyes.
"You keep track of that?"
Jason opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Then rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Maybe."
There was something strangely endearing about watching confidence abandon him.
"You notice weird things."
He laughed quietly.
"I guess I do."
The admission settled between you.
Not heavy.
Just honest.
Above, another meteor streaked across the sky, brighter this time.
Then another.
And another.
Within minutes, they came every thirty seconds, white trails carving through the darkness before vanishing into nothing.
You both fell silent.
Some sights demanded it.
After several minutes, you spoke softly enough that it almost disappeared beneath the sound of crickets.
"What made you come back?"
Jason glanced over.
"Hm?"
"After your first summer."
He leaned back on his elbows.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I mean..." He looked toward the sleeping camp below. "I thought it'd just be a summer job."
"It usually is."
"Yeah."
He smiled to himself.
"Then suddenly I knew everyone's names."
"The campers adored you."
"They drew on my face with washable marker."
"You let them."
"I was asleep."
“You were pretending to be asleep."
"I needed the nap."
"You absolutely knew."
"I woke up looking like a tiger."
"You were a very convincing tiger."
He laughed.
"So were you."
"I was painted into a butterfly."
"I still have that picture."
Your head whipped toward him.
"You do?"
"Somewhere."
"You kept it?"
"Of course."
"..Why?"
Jason looked genuinely confused.
"Because it was a good day."
Something fluttered unexpectedly in your chest.
"You keep pictures?"
"The good ones."
He hesitated.
"I have one from the canoe race, too."
"The one where you tipped us over?"
"I maintain that was an accident."
"You paddled directly into another canoe."
"They came out of nowhere."
"There were twelve canoes."
"They were sneaky."
You laughed so hard your shoulders shook.
Jason watched you for a moment.
Not in an obvious way.
Just...
Long enough to memorize it.
Long enough that when your laughter faded, he realized he was still looking.
You caught him.
Neither of you looked away immediately.
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable.
It was simply new.
"I..."
Jason cleared his throat.
"I guess I keep pictures because..." He searched for the words. "Camp goes by so fast."
You nodded.
"It does."
"I like remembering it."
"The campers?"
"The staff."
His answer came quicker than expected.
"The traditions."
He smiled.
"Friday D&D."
"Campfire songs."
"That one squirrel that keeps stealing trail mix."
"The haunted canoe."
"The haunted canoe isn't haunted."
"You say that."
"I know who keeps moving it."
"You do?"
"It's Kyle."
Jason stared.
"...You've known this whole time?"
"I've known for two years."
"You let me believe there was a ghost."
"You were having fun."
His laugh echoed softly across the overlook.
"I can't believe you."
"I absolutely can."
The conversation drifted again, wandering from favorite camp memories to embarrassing first days, from impossible campers who'd somehow become favorites to the annual talent show disasters.
The easy rhythm had always been there.
Talking to Jason never felt like work.
It felt like slipping into a well-loved sweater.
Comfortable.
Familiar.
Safe.
Another meteor flashed overhead.
You pointed.
"There!"
This time he looked.
"Okay," he admitted. "That one was incredible."
"Told you."
"I still think dragons would've appreciated meteors."
You snorted.
"You're bringing D&D back into this?"
"I always bring D&D back into this."
"You are such a nerd."
"Takes one to know one."
"...Fair."
The words faded into another comfortable silence.
The meteor shower intensified, streaks of silver appearing in clusters now, each one reflected in the still waters below.
Without thinking, your shoulder rested against his.
Jason didn't move.
Neither did you.
The night seemed content to hold its breath around the two of you.
Neither of you realized that, somewhere between rolling dice across cafeteria tables and watching stars fall over a sleeping camp, friendship had quietly become something neither of you quite knew how to name.
Not yet.
But the sky, brilliant and endless above you, seemed patient enough to wait.
A meteor cut cleanly across the sky, brighter than any that had come before.
Its silver tail lingered for a heartbeat before dissolving into the darkness, leaving behind a chorus of astonished murmurs from nature itself. The crickets paused, the breeze shifted through the pines, and somewhere down by the lake, a bullfrog croaked as though it had something to add.
You leaned back on your hands, eyes following where the light had vanished.
"I think that's the biggest one yet."
"It probably was."
"You didn't sound very convinced."
"I wasn't really looking."
You turned your head.
"What?"
Jason blinked, like he hadn't meant to say that aloud.
"I..." He scratched at the back of his neck, suddenly fascinated by absolutely anything except your face. "Nothing."
"You just admitted you weren't watching the meteor shower."
"I know."
"The meteor shower you invited me up here to see."
"...Yeah."
"So what were you looking at?"
He sighed, long and quiet.
"You."
The single word settled between you with all the gentleness of a falling leaf.
No panic.
No dramatic swell of music.
Just honesty.
The kind that arrived only after years of being carefully tucked away.
You stared at him.
"I don't..." You laughed softly, more from surprise than amusement. "Jason..."
"I know."
"You know what?"
"That probably wasn't the smoothest way to say that."
A reluctant smile tugged at your lips.
"No."
"I've had better moments."
"You really have."
"I had a speech."
"You had a speech?"
"I did."
"Where is it now?"
"Gone."
He gestured vaguely toward the sky.
"Somewhere between that meteor and my ability to form coherent sentences."
That earned a real laugh.
Jason smiled, though it carried a nervous edge you'd almost never seen from him.
"I wasn't planning to tell you tonight."
You weren't?"
"No."
"What was the plan?"
"I didn't have one."
"You just said you had a speech."
"I had words."
"That's different?"
"I was hoping they'd become a plan eventually."
You laughed again, shaking your head.
"You are unbelievable."
"I've been informed."
"But..." His smile faded into something quieter. "I also realized I couldn't keep pretending."
He looked out over the sleeping camp below.
"I think I've liked you for a long time."
The words were almost swallowed by the breeze.
You waited.
He continued.
"I don't actually know when it started."
He smiled faintly to himself.
"Maybe the canoe race."
Your eyebrows lifted.
"The one where you crashed us into another boat?"
"It wasn't intentional."
"It absolutely was."
"I maintain there were... mitigating circumstances."
"You paddled directly into Mark."
"He was drifting."
"He was stationary."
"I panicked."
"You yelled, 'I've got this!'"
"I really thought I did."
You laughed, remembering the spectacular collision that had ended with both canoes upside down and every counselor in the lake.
Jason's grin returned for a moment before softening again.
"You laughed then, too."
"So?"
"I remember thinking..."
He exhaled.
"...I wanted to keep making you laugh."
The confession landed somewhere deep inside your chest.
Not because it was grand.
Because it wasn't.
It was Jason.
Earnest.
Unpolished.
Completely sincere.
He shrugged one shoulder.
"Then another summer happened."
"And another."
"And every year, you were still here."
"I was."
"I kept thinking I'd tell you."
"What stopped you?"
"You never seemed to..."
He searched for the right words.
"I don't know."
"I thought maybe you only saw me as your D&D buddy."
You blinked.
"What?"
"You know."
"The guy you argue about dragons with."
"You are more than the dragon guy."
"I appreciate that."
"I also argue with you about wyverns."
"You do."
"And griffins."
"You definitely do."
He smiled.
"I figured if you liked me..."
He shrugged.
"...I'd know."
This time, you couldn't stop yourself from laughing.
Not at him.
At the absurdity of it.
"What?"
"You idiot."
"..Excuse me?"
"You absolute, complete idiot."
He looked offended.
"I don't think that's the response I was hoping for."
"You thought I only wanted to be friends?"
"I mean..."
"Jason."
"I was trying to be realistic."
"You brought me up a mountain."
"It's a hill."
"You packed cookies."
"I rescued cookies."
"You gave me your hoodie."
"You were cold."
"You remember how I wear my sleeves."
"...Maybe."
"You noticed when I started organizing my dice differently."
Jason froze.
"I..."
"You thought I didn't notice?"
He stared.
"You changed the ribbon on your dice bag last fall because I said blue looked nice."
His mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
"...You noticed that?"
"I notice a lot about you."
Silence.
Then, almost at the same time, the realization struck both of you.
Jason laughed first.
"We're idiots."
"The biggest."
"I've been trying to flirt with you for two years."
"I thought you were just... Jason."
"What does that even mean?"
"I don't know."
"But every time you smiled at me, I convinced myself you smiled at everyone like that."
"I don't."
"You don't?"
"No."
"Oh."
"I mean, I smile at people."
"Right."
"But not..."
He gestured helplessly between the two of you.
"...Like this."
Your heart was beating so loudly you were certain he could hear it.
"I liked you after the talent show."
"The one where we painted scenery until two in the morning?"
You nodded.
"You fell asleep sitting against the stage."
"I remember."
"You had blue paint in your hair."
"I found that paint three days later."
"I know."
“You knew?"
"I put it there."
"You..."
He blinked.
"You threw paint at me?"
"It was an accident."
"You are impossible."
"So I've heard."
Another meteor streaked overhead.
Neither of you looked.
Jason let out a slow breath.
"So..."
"So."
"I really like you."
"I really like you, too."
His smile was immediate.
Bright enough that, for just a second, it rivaled the stars overhead.
"Can I..."
He hesitated.
"...Can I kiss you?"
You answered by closing the small distance between you.
It was gentle.
Tentative at first.
The sort of kiss that felt less like a beginning and more like finally arriving somewhere you'd been walking toward for years.When you pulled apart, you were both smiling.
Jason rested his forehead lightly against yours.
"I cannot believe we've wasted three summers."
"They weren't wasted."
"No?"
"We got really good at being oblivious."
He laughed.
"I think we deserve awards."
"Or counseling."
"Probably both."
You stayed there until the thermos was empty, the cookies had disappeared, and the meteor shower began to fade.
Eventually, the eastern horizon softened from black to deep navy.
Dawn.
"We should probably get back," you murmured.
"Probably."
Neither of you moved.
"Definitely."
Still neither of you moved.
Finally, Jason stood and offered you a hand.
"Come on."
You accepted it.
He didn't let go.
The walk back to camp felt different.
Not because anything around you had changed.
The cabins still sat quietly beneath the trees. Morning birds were beginning to wake. Mist drifted over the lake.
But every so often your hands brushed, only to remember they were already intertwined.
Neither of you felt any need to let go.
---
Breakfast was always organized chaos.
Counselors hurried between tables with trays of fruit and stacks of pancakes while campers slowly trickled in, still rubbing sleep from their eyes.
You and Jason arrived together, carrying identical travel mugs of coffee.
You'd barely made it three steps into the dining hall before someone looked up.
Mark.
The very same counselor whose canoe Jason had rammed years ago.
He looked from Jason...
...to your joined hands...
...back to Jason.
Then he sighed dramatically.
"It took you two long enough."
The room fell strangely quiet.
Another counselor looked over.
"Oh, finally."
"I owe Linda five bucks," someone announced from the serving line.
"The betting pool was real?" Jason asked.
"There was a spreadsheet," came the reply.
"You people had a spreadsheet?"
"For two summers."
You buried your face in Jason's shoulder, laughing.
Linda, the camp cook, walked past carrying a tray of cinnamon rolls.
Without breaking stride, she smiled knowingly.
"I was wondering when the meteor shower would finally work."
Jason blinked.
"...You knew?"
"Honey," she said, patting his arm as she passed, "everyone knew."
He groaned.
"I'm never living this down."
"Nope," Mark said cheerfully.
"Absolutely not," someone else agreed.
You squeezed Jason's hand beneath the table.
He looked over.
Despite the teasing.
Despite the laughter echoing through the dining hall.
Despite the campers beginning another busy summer day.
His smile was impossibly soft.
Worth every oblivious summer.
Worth every failed attempt at flirting.
Worth every Friday night spent rolling dice across cafeteria tables.
Outside, the last faint traces of the meteor shower disappeared into the brightening morning sky.
Neither of you noticed.
You had finally found something even more beautiful to look at.
Notes: This is for the fred hechinger fic exchange @fredhechingerfrenzy
This fic is for toni aka @sweetpeapod I hope you enjoy it!
Tags/warnings: mentions of caracallas anger (not in detail)
Word count: 1.4k
You had been a maid for the Roman Palace, working beneath the twin emperors Caracalla and Geta. You mostly work for Caracalla, having recently become his personal servant after the last one… Well, no one really talks about it, but everyone has their thoughts. It was tiring having to watch for the emperor's explosive side, making sure you weren't in the wrong spot and having a vase thrown in your direction, or a goblet of wine, or anything in his hand really.
This tiredness was starting to catch up with you, you had to hide your yawns as if they were coughs, found yourself falling asleep in the hallways, even got scared with Dondus climbing on top of you once as you had fallen asleep standing. You tried hard to sleep at night but was always woken up by something wrong with the emperor and having to deal with it in the early hours of the morning.
However, to Caracalla, he wanted you as his personal servant as you were the only one to not look at him like a monster, or even a god, just a man. You didn't pity him or go out of your way to avoid him like the others, even before you were given the job. He… he appreciated it, in a way he never realised. You give him a feeling of just, normality, no pity, or burden, he didn't even get that look from his very own brother. But here you were, a simple servant who made him feel things he doesn't think he's ever felt. He just didn't realise how tired he'd been making you.
One morning you'd been woken up again, the emperor demanding for a bath after dealing with the senate meeting in the morning. You trail along the hallways, eyes barely open, the sky a warm pink and orange as the sun rises peeking over Rome. You trail over towards his private baths, the water being brought over, boiling hot water being poured into the tub, you collecting his favourite oils to bathe in and soaps. As you're left alone, you pour in the drops of lavender and rosemary, however as the lavender scented steam hits you, it makes your sleepiness worse.
You kneel and sit by the bath stirring in the scents, your sleepiness starts to win the battle. Try as you can you end up with your head resting on the edge of the bath, your hand emerging in the hot water adding to the sleepiness as you finally pass out next to his bath.
After around thirty minutes, the doors open to see a stressed out Caracalla storming into the room. He yells for the guard to fetch you to help him, the poor guard having no idea where you'd gone but nods running to find you, not realising you were in the room next door. As Caracalla paces the room like a caged animal, his pet dondus enters the room immediately climbing on the emperor's bed, sensing the stress of his owner. Caracalla calms down slightly, sitting next to his pet monkey, giving him small pets. Just then something catches the small creature's ear, a small noise, coming from the private bathroom. The monkey climbs down going over to the room, scratching at the door, chittering to get the door open. Caracalla looks at him confused, wondering what is going on. He gets up to go to the bathroom and opens the door to find… you. Kneeling on the floor, your head resting on the side of his bath, your hand now wrinkled, soaking on the water, your hair having followed your arm into the water as well.
Caracalla stands there watching your sleeping body, Dondus climbs over onto the tub and gently crawls over checking to make sure you were okay. A quiet chittering comes from his mouth as he looks over at Caracalla. He stands there almost in shock, he should be waking you up, he should be angry, grabbing and punishing you for sleeping while working, but, he can't bring himself to do it. He watches your body gently move with every even breath you take, your curly dark hair, falling over your face into the now warm water.
He gently moves over towards you, careful to not wake you, he gently kneels next to you, head tilting to get a better look at your face. Your eyes had dark eye bags underneath, ones he'd never noticed til now, how exhausted you were, how pale you were from not sleeping, he hadn't realised he'd been using you to your bones. Concern falls over his face, a look he hardly ever gave anyone, let alone a servant like yourself. His hand slowly moves your hair out of the water and out of your face. He can't help but trace the edge of your face with his finger, his touch lightly grazing your skin before you start to shift. He quickly moves his hand not wanting to wake you, and luckily for him, you settle back down again, your sleep much deeper than he had anticipated.
He takes a deep breath before he stands next to you, walking over to grab a towel before walking over to lightly pull your now wrinkled hand out of the bath and carefully dries your skin. You feel the cloth around your arm, your eyes slowly open a little as you move your head. Your brain is still filled with sleep as you hear a voice tell you to go back to sleep, not thinking anything of it you let your head rest back down on your arm this time, resting against the bath. You have no idea that voice belongs to the emperor.
He dries your arm and carefully brings it down beside you, before putting the cloth away. He then does something he never thought he'd do, he carefully wraps his arms around your body and picks you up bridal style, your soft body pressed to his chest as he carries you to his bedroom, Dondus following behind out of curiosity. He gently places you down on the bed before wrapping the silk sheets around your body. You look a lot more cozy in his sheets than against his tub. As he stares longingly at your sleeping face, the door bursts open, the guard from before finally having the guts to come back to say he couldn't find you. Caracalla's face immediately turns thunderous as the guard speaks “My lord, I apologise but I can't find-”. He quickly shuts up from seeing both, you asleep in the emperor's bed as well as the current look said emperor is giving him. If looks could kill he would have been burned in a gulf of flame rather quickly. He bows before quickly stepping out of the room while he still could, carefully shutting the door behind him.
Caracalla sighs before looking back down at you, thankful that idiot didn't wake you up, he should have his head just for that.
He looks down at your sleeping body, completely out cold, Dondus sits next to your body watching the pair, having never seen his master act so gentle with anything besides him. Caracalla can't help but be tempted to climb in next to you but doesn't want to risk waking you, seeing you need your sleep. He made a promise not to rely on you as much as he had, to call someone else before you. God he must look like a fool, if his brother saw him now he'd never let him live it down. He stands back up and carefully walks around to the other side of the bed, he lies down next to you. He watches you hold onto his pillow, how soft it felt compared to your own bed.
He slowly wraps his arms around your body, gently pulling you to him, you feel soft, warm, safe. All the things he didn't have the luxury of having you felt… you felt like home. How you didn't treat him any different despite how he behaved, how he reacted to everything and yet, you still took care of him and he took it for granted till you finally couldn't help but collapse. He promises himself he would never have that happen again, he can't lose the only thing that makes him feel human. He plays with your hair as he begins to feel himself fall asleep, and for once he doesn't fight it, the fear that he might not wake back up doesn't creep up on him, for once he feels safe with you in his arms, you were his home, his safe space, and he was terrified of what would happen if he ever lost you.
Hey, hey! We know it’s only June (and already June—what the heck?!) but we are prepping again for the future.
Would you like to see another FREDTOBER list with prompts for each day in October? One prompt a day for anyone Fred character to be written about? All spooky, fall/autumn themed.
We are open to suggestions and thoughts, let us know!
Welcome to our ninth prompt! For the year 2026 we switching it up and doing one of Fred's characters for the entire month with weekly prompts, based on your votes! So, the next character is... DMITRI KRAVINOFF!
There will be four (4) prompts for the month of July, all of which will be posted during a different week (details below!) Just make sure your entire fic or art piece is posted in full sometime during the designated week (dates will be below!)
We know it's the middle of June but we wanted to get this prompt list to you so you could start brainstorming if you choose to participate!
Be sure to tag us here (@fredhechingerfrenzy) so we can reblog and share all the work with each other🧡
✦ Make sure to clearly label that the fic is for Dmitri Kravinoff as well as clearly label the prompt you used, please and thank you!
✦ This can be x reader, x oc, be a fic for Dmitri and Sergei, just have Dmitri in it — the options are endless! So long as Dmitri Kravinoff is in the fan work, that's what matters here!
✦ Please make sure to tag your work appropriately, with any warnings or triggers at the top! Any explicit content and/or triggering content should be under a cut so even if it’s shared and someone isn’t comfortable reading, they can easily scroll.
✦ There is no word count for this prompt, just have fun! Write all, write a couple, write for Dmitri in any way you feel fit; the choice is yours as long as you're having fun!
✦ Any questions feel free to send us an ask or reach out to a moderator directly!
Prompt List:
✦ Week One (To be posted Wednesday, July 1st - Wednesday, July 8th): Piano
✦ Week Two (To be posted Thursday, July 9th - Thursday, July 16th): Brother
✦ Week Three (To be posted Friday, July 17th - Friday, July 24th): Club
✦ Week Four (To be posted Saturday, July 25th - Friday, Juky 31st): Hunting *please ensure this is tagged properly!*
Interpret these however you'd like! We are all so excited to write and see what others come up with!🧡
